By Michael Holden
LONDON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor by police investigating whether he committed a crime by leaking government documents to Jeffrey Epstein marks a new low for the royal whose reputation already lies in tatters.
Police were questioning King Charles' younger brother on Thursday, his 66th birthday, over allegations he had committed the offence of misconduct in a public office relating to his role as a British government trade envoy.
He has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Epstein and said he regretted his "ill-judged association" with the late convicted U.S. sex offender.
His standing was already in tatters after he settled a lawsuit brought by Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager at properties owned by Epstein or his associates, despite repeated denials of her account.
But the latest development sees the man who was widely reputed to be Queen Elizabeth II's favourite son, and once hailed as a dashing military veteran, reduced to little more than a public pariah.
At birth he was second-in-line to the throne, a Prince of the United Kingdom and later the Duke of York.
While being arrested does not amount to any guilt, if police and prosecutors decide he should face criminal charges, he could potentially face prison.
"Let me state clearly: the law must take its course," King Charles said in a statement.
THE FALKLANDS AND FERGIE
Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten-Windsor was born at Buckingham Palace on Feb. 19, 1960 when the queen was 33, almost 10 years after the birth of his elder sister Anne, becoming the first child born to a reigning monarch in 103 years.
Like his father and older brother Charles, he attended the physically rigorous Gordonstoun private school in Scotland before going to the Dartmouth naval academy in 1979.
He joined the navy, becoming a helicopter pilot in 1981, and sailed with the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible during Britain's 1982 conflict with Argentina in the Falklands, flying a Sea King helicopter on anti-submarine and transport duties for which he was later awarded a campaign medal.
Until the travails of recent years, Mountbatten-Windsor was probably best known for his 1986 marriage to Sarah Ferguson, widely known as "Fergie". The couple were made the Duke and Duchess of York by the queen on the day of their wedding.
They separated in March 1992 in a year of scandals for the royal family which the queen described as an "annus horribilis".
The former prince was said to be devastated by the departure of his wife, who described him after the break-up as a gentle man who deserved to be loved.
The couple had two children, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and the family remained on good terms after they divorced in 1996, going on holiday together and long sharing a house.
'AIR MILES ANDY'
Mountbatten-Windsor's navy career lasted 22 years and in 2001 he was named the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, a role he held until he was pilloried for his connections to Epstein.
He is now being investigated over his actions in this role.
After leaving the military, he focused his attention on carrying out official duties for the queen and promoting economic growth and job creation.
Friends described the Duke of York as an uncomplicated man whose main passion was his work. They said his efforts as a trade envoy promoting British business abroad often went unrecognised. Some diplomats, however, found him to be rude, ignorant and boorish.
But it was his personal life which grabbed the headlines. Tabloids linked him to a series of women from models to entrepreneurs, and they dubbed him "Air Miles Andy" for his jetset lifestyle.
His life was to turn upside-down over his long-term friendship with Epstein, who was jailed in 2008 for child sex offences. He was forced to quit his roving trade ambassador job in 2011 and Giuffre accused him of sexually abusing her in 2015.
He was stripped of his military links, royal patronages and "His Royal Highness" moniker after giving an interview to the BBC in 2019 in a bid to clear his name.
In February 2022, he made an undisclosed payment, reported to be more than 10 million pounds ($13.5 million) by media, to settle a U.S. lawsuit Giuffre had brought against him. She died by suicide three years later.
"Today, our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty," her family said in a statement on Thursday. "He was never a prince."
Last October, as more revelations about Epstein were published, King Charles stripped his brother of his title of prince and forced him out of his Windsor home.
"These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him," read a Buckingham Palace statement.
To critics, his downfall was a consequence of his arrogance and sense of entitlement. One former royal protection officer said Andrew would throw tantrums if the teddy bears on his bed were moved.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
